Grenade launcher



Jan. 18, 1944. w. T. MOORE GRENADE LAUNCHER Filed Nov. 21, 1941"f'gli/Illlll/llllllllllllll Patented Jan. 18, 1944 UNITED V STATES FrsI GRENADE LAUNcnEa Wiley 'I'. Moore, United States Army, Lavernen Okla.

Application November 21, 1941, Serial No. 119,996v

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3700. G. 757) 4 Claims.

'rifles or similar weapons adapted for use in' launching grenades.

A Aprincipal object of the present invention is to provide a simple,compactly arranged grenade launcher of light weight adapted forconvenient and quick attachment to or detachmnt from the various typesof'service rifles of this country.

The speciiic nature of the invention as well as other objects andadvantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferredembodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of one form of a 'grenade launcheraccording to this invention shown attached to the muzzle end portion oione type of service rifle;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the grenade launchershown in Fig. 1;

Fig, 3 is a sectional view taken upon the section line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in plan showing the means for securing thelauncher to the rifle Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank used in formingthe grenade retaining spring;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a modified formof the grenade launcher shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 is a View similar to Figure 2'showing the launcher on a muzzlehaving a larger diameter 'and with the' bayonet lug closer to the muzzleend than is shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2,there is vshown a grenade launcher embodying the principles of thisinvention especially adapted for attachment to gas-operated weapons ofthe type wherein the 'gas cylinder underlies and projects to within asmall distance of the muzzle of the barrel.

The interior of tubular element I0 is formed with an axial passage II ofa diameter intermediate the bore and exterior diameters of the barrel I2onto which the launcher is adapted to be attached. At its breech endportion, or portion 4Kadjacent the muzzle of barrel I2, the passage IIis enlarged by barrel receiving bores I3 and I4 of successivelyincreased diameters. 'I'he bore I3 *s eccentrically arranged withrespect to the passage I I in such manner as to be tangential thereto onthe lower side in a vertical axial plane (with respect' to the plane ofthe drawing) as indicated in Fig. 2 at I5. Bore I4 is also eccentricallydisposed relative to passage II and likewise with respect to bore I3 insuch manner as to be tangential to the latter bore on the upper side ina l vertical axial plane (with respect to the plane of the drawing) asshown at I6 in Fig. 2. By the arrangementof bores I3 and I4 as abovedescribed substantially crescent shoulders I1 and I8 are provided whichfunction in a manner made more apparent hereinafter.

As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the exterior diameter of the tubularelement I0 is such as to be received within the tubular shank I9 oi agrenade 20 in interbearing substantially uidsealed relation. To relievethe interbearing surfaces of the grenade shank I9 and tubular element I0of friction inherent in a bearing of the close tolerances described, theexterior surface of the tubular element is relieved or cut away to anysuitable pattern. The preferred pattern as shown in Figs, 1 and 2comprises a series of uniformly spaced annular grooves 2| adjacent themuzzle of the tubular element I0 arranged to alternate with unrelievedportions 22 of substantially the same width. The grooves 2| are notlimited in number but are comparatively narrow in width and are confinedto approximately the forward one-fifth of tubular element I 0. Followingthe grooves 2i in a breechwise direction are a series of uniformlyspaced annular grooves 23 of comparatively greater width than thegrooves 2l separated by unrelieved portions 24 of substantially the samewidth as unrelieved portions 22. I'he breach end groove 25 may be ofslightly greater Width than the grooves 23 if desired for a reason madeclear hereinafter. While a preferred embodiment'of the grooves 2|, 23and 25 includes the spaced annular arrangement shown and described itwill be understood that other arrangements are contemplated.

A bracket 26 is secured to the breech end portion of tubular element IIl and extends below and rearwardly thereof in parallelism therewith aswill be seen in Figs. 1 and 2 for the purpose of securing the tubularelement to a firearm. The bracket 26 is conveniently formed of T-shapein cross section and has the rear end portion of the web 21 bifurcatedas shown in Figs. 2 and 4 in such manner as to receive the bayonet lug28 of a weapon. For retaining the bayonet lug positionedwithin thebifurcated end portion of the web 28 a suitable socket 29 is formed onthe rear end portion of the bracketfor housing a spring loaded catch 30of any desirable design. 'Ihe catch has a face 3| that engages the rearface of the bayonet lug for rigidly securing the launcher to the firearmand a beveled face 32 which engages the bayonet lug during the operationof -aflixing the launcher to the firearm for automatically displacingthe catch to permit the bayonet lug to enter the bifurcation. The catchmay be manually retracted by means of the finger piece 33 to permitdetachment of the launcher from the firearm.

'To insure the retention of a grenade upon the tubular element I-aresilient retainer 34 formed from a blank 35 having fingers 36 bent backupon the body 31 thereof as shown Ain Fig. 3 is provided. The body 31 isbent to arcuate form and is fitted within the groove 25 in such mannerthat the fingers 36 will be engaged by the interior wall of shank I9 tofrictionally engage the same under their inherent resiliency. For normaluse the retainer 34 will be of the width shown and located in groove 25which is slightly wider than grooves 23 thereby providing for a strongerretainer; however, it will be apparent that retainers of a narrowerwidth. may be provided for use in grooves 23 when it is desired toretain the grenade shank upon tubular element I0 in position other thanthat for maximum projection.

In operation the grenade launcher is aflixed to one oi' the standardservice pieces, such as the gas-operated firearm shown in Figs. 1 and 2.The muzzle portion of the barrel I2 is inserted within the bore I3simultaneously with the insertion of the bayonet lug within thebifurcated end portion of the bracket. The ca tch 30 is automaticallydepressed by engagement with the bay-v onet lug -and as soon as themuzzle engages the shoulder I1 and the bayonet lug is within thebifurcation the catch will engage the rear face of the bayonet lug withits face 3|, securely and detachably afxing the launcher in place. 'I'heshoulder I1 is so arranged that it snugly engages the muzzle between thebore and exterior wall thereof to provide a gas seal and relieve theload on the bayonet lug 28. A grenade 20 having a shank I9 is attachedto the launcher with the shank receiving the tubular element I0 as showninl Fig. 2 and the retainer 34 frictionally engaging the interior wallof the shank to retain it in place. If maximum range is desired thegrenade shank will be positioned as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which is theusual case, as generally the sights, will be adjusted for a. rangedesired less than maximum projection of the grenade. However, if it isdesired to regulate range by the force of projection applied to thegrenade the latter may be positioned upon tubular element I0 accordinglyby positioning a retainer 34 in a corresponding groove 23. The piece isloaded with a blank cartridge and trained upon the target. When trainingof the piece is accomplished the piece is fired and the gases ofexplosion impinge upon the base of the grenade projecting it forwardly.Because of the. relatively close spacing of the grooves 2| the grenadeshank will leave the tubular element in the line of training of thelatter since the shank cannot wobble relative to the tube I0. To detachthe launcher from the weapon itis only necessary to withdraw the catch30 from behind the bayonet lug 28 by means of the nger piece 33 andremove the launcher by a forward relative movement to the barrel I2.

The launcher shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is also adapted for use with anotherstandard service piece having a muzzle portion projecting a shorterdistance forwardly of the bayonet lug 28 and the latter lug spaced'ashorter distance below the axis of the bore of barrel I2 than thegas-operated rifle shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this case the muzzle ofthe piece is positioned in the bore I4 in engagement with the shoulderI8 in the same manner as the muzzle of barrel I2 fits within bore I3, asabove explained, and with the bayonet-l lug being received in thebifurcated end of the bracket 26 also as above described in regard tothe gas-operated weapon.

In Fig. 6 a slight modiiication of the launcher disclosed in Figs. 1 and2 is shown. In this form the tubular element I0' and bracket 26' areformed as separatel elements suitably secured to each other in themanner shown, as by welding. This form of the invention has certainadvantages over the form of Figs. 1 and 2 where the tubular element andbracket are made integral in that the two component parts are moreeasily fabricated than the integral form.

In Fig. 'l is shown a barrel I2' of larger diameter than barrel I2 whichfits snugly in the larger bore I4, and the latter is of such depth thatthe muzzle end of the barrel engages the bottom thereof when the bayonetlug engages the launcher catch.

Having now described what I at present consider to be a preferredembodiment, I claim:

1. In a grenade launcher in combination, a tubular element provided witha plurality of enlarged bores of outwardly arranged successivelyincreased diameters at one end portion, a bracket secured to said oneend' portion in laterally offset and longitudinally extending relationto the tubular element, and means on the end portion of the bracketremote from its'attachment to the tubula;` element for detachablyreceiving and securing the bayonet lug of a firearm so provided; saidenlarged bores being so constructed and arranged that the launcher maybe affixed to firearms having barrels of diierent diameters and with thebayonet lug spaced different distances from the 'muzzle end of thebarrel by positioning the muzzle thereof in a selected one of saidenlarged bores and detachably securing the bayonet lug to said means.

. 2. The structure of claim 1 comprising an arrangement wherein saidbores are disposed eccentrically relative to each other and to thepassage in said tubular member.

3. The structure of claim 1 comprising an arrangement of the passage inthe tubular element and said enlarged bores to form crescent shouldersat longitudinally spaced points for engaging the muzzle of a barrelintermediate the bore and exterior wall thereof.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein the small--` est of said enlargedbores is tangent to the main bore of the tubular element and thesucceeding bore is tangent to the said smallest of said enlarged boresat a point removed from the point of tangency of said smallest enlargedbore with said main bore.

WILEY T. MOORE.

